May not be fire-balloons

In December 1882, a discussion commenced in the Dundee Advertiser and later in Knowledge, 2-489, about an unknown luminous body near and a little above the sun. It was initially reported on Dec. 22, 1882. The sighting occurred between 10 and 11 a.m. by a correspondent at Broughty Ferry, Scotland. Another letter was published on Dec. 25 from someone who had also seen it, and said it was Venus. One writer in Knowledge also says it was Venus. But in a later issue, 3-13, an astronomer wrote that it could not be Venus, saying that Venus was at that time to the west of the sun.